QuoteReplyTopic: A journey through the Italianprog scene Posted: October 18 2009 at 08:26

A JOURNEY THROUGH THE CONTEMPORARY

ITALIAN PROG SCENE

By Andrea Parentin

A SHORT FOREWORD

Italy is a complex country with many different regions and cities. Almost each one has its own culture, dialect and traditions. Moreover, almost every city in Italy can boast at least one interesting prog band. So, at this point I think it could be useful to plan an imaginary journey through Italy and its culture while listening to contemporary local prog bands, the same bands that you could hear live on stage if you plan a real journey through Italy nowadays. If you can’t go to concerts, no problem. Through the official websites of the bands or their MySpace pages you can listen to plenty of tracks for free... Well, most of the bands listed here could fit the subgenre called Rock Progressivo Italiano. There are many exceptions, of course, but there’s no room for cover bands or tribute bands. Are you interested? Let’s start...

LIGURIA

Probably the best departure point for a journey through the current Italian prog scene is GENOA. Genoa, the capital of the Italian region Liguria, also known as the city of the Lanterna because its lighthouse is one of the landmark of the city, is not only the place of birth of Christopher Columbus and of violin virtuoso and composer Niccolò Paganini but also the home city of many prog bands. The best known are I New Trolls who started their career in 1966 influenced by beat and psychedelia. In 1967 on their debut album Senza orario, senza bandiera, which is usually considered the first Italian concept album, they collaborated with two other great artists from Genoa, singer-songwriter Fabrizio De Andrè and composer and producer Gian Piero Reverberi. In 1971 they turned to progressive rock and later to pop. Nowadays I New Trolls continue to keep alive their repertoire with excellent live performances even if they have now split into two branches with old and younger members playing in two different line-ups. The first one is La Leggenda dei New Trolls (MySpace), featuring founder members Vittorio De Scalzi and Nico Di Palo, who in 2007 released an interesting new album with an orchestra, Concerto Grosso, The Seven Seasons. Historic New Trolls members Gianni Belleno and Giorgio D’Adamo recently joined La Leggenda dei New Trolls and now they are all working on a new “Concerto Grosso” with composer Luis Bacalov. The other branch is Il Mito dei New Trolls (MySpace), featuring historic members as Ricky Belloni and Giorgio Usai, more focused on the pop side of I New Trolls’ repertoire although on stage they also perform pieces from the progressive period of the band. Well, the history of I New Trolls is rather complex. In 1973, after the first New Trolls split up, former members of the band formed three new different groups: New Trolls Atomic System, Ibis and Tritons. In 2008 Maurizio Salvi, former member of I New Trolls and Ibis, tried to revive one of these offshoots with a new line-up under the name Ibis Prog Machine (MySpace).

I New Trolls are not the only prog band from this city formed in the late sixties and early seventies still in activity. Delirium (MySpace) are alive and kicking too and in 2009 they released an excellent brand new album called Il nome del vento. By the way, former member of Delirium Ivano Fossati (Official Website) after leaving the band started a successful solo career and is now one of the most appreciated Italian singer-songwriters. Another historic band in activity are Latte e Miele (MySpace) that reunited in 2008 for an international tour, a live record and new projects. Nuova Idea are back too on the initiative of drummer Paolo Siani who in 2010 gathered around him other old members of the band and some friends for a new album on Black Widow Records, Castles, Wings, Stories and Dreams featuring old stuff rearranged and some new tracks (the name of this project is Paolo Siani and friends featuring Nuova Idea). Other bands that were formed in Genoa during the seventies and that recently came back to life are Picchio dal Pozzo (Official Website) and Garybaldi. Historic names from the seventies progressive rock scene from Genoa are also Gleemen, Bambibanda e Melodie, J.E.T., Osage Tribe, Duello Madre and La Famiglia degli Ortega. They’re not active any more, but you never know!

Anyway, the prog vein of Genoa has not dried up yet and its contemporary prog scene is still full of talented musicians. Undoubtedly a very important and prolific one is Fabio Zuffanti (MySpace), bass player and composer who is behind many projects of great interest to prog lovers. The first one is Finisterre (MySpace), a band that began life in 1993 with a symphonic sound although over the years their music has been contaminated by other influences and a slight pop touch. Then there are Höstsonaten (MySpace), who started as a Fabio Zuffanti solo project and have a more acoustic, pastoral sound. La Maschera di Cera (MySpace) are another band formed on the initiative of Fabio Zuffanti featuring a vintage sound heavily drawing on the legacy of the seventies Italian prog scene. In 2010 they recruited a new guitarist and released a very good album, Petali di fuoco. Other projects of Fabio Zuffanti that deserve mentioning here are Aries (MySpace), featuring a more folk prog vein with Celtic influences, and Rohmer (MySpace), an experimental project with a strong electronic touch. In 2000 Fabio Zuffanti also composed a rock opera, Merlin – The Rock Opera, and now is working on a new one, Cime tempestose, inspired by Emily Brontë’s novel Wuthering Heights. Another member of Finisterre, La Maschera di Cera and Rohmer, Agostino Macor, started a jazz-rock-experimental side-project called Zaal (MySpace) featuring Fabio Zuffanti as a guest, which should be of some interest to prog lovers.

In my opinion there are also very interesting projects started by singer and lyricist Mercy and bassist Diego Banchero, musicians who feature in the line-ups of bands as Malombra (MySpace) and Il Segno del Comando, both formed in the nineties and featuring a hard, dark sound. In 2003 Mercy formed Ianva (MySpace), a very interesting project featuring a folky, pastoral sound while Diego Banchero is now behind two other interesting acoustic driven projects, Egida Aurea (MySpace) and Recondita Stirpe (MySpace). Another former member of Malombra, Fabio Casanova, started a solo project called Sad Minstrel (Facebook). Two members of Ianva, Fabio Gremo and Francesco La Rosa are also involved in another band with a much heavier sound, Daedalus (MySpace). The latest Ianva album included the collaboration of keyboardist Elisa Montaldo, founder member in 2006 of Il Tempio delle Clessidre (MySpace) along with veteran Stefano “Lupo” Galifi, vocalist on the famous Museo Rosenbach album “Zarathustra” and later rock-blues singer in local cover bands. The name of the band was inspired by the title of a part of the suite “Zarathustra” and the initial idea of the band was to play on stage the whole of the first Museo Rosenbach album with the original singer and new arrangements featuring vintage sounds. After some line-up changes (the current line-up features also Fabio Gremo on bass), in September 2010 the band released an amazing eponymous debut album containing only original pieces. Another founder member of Il Tempio delle Clessidre, bassist Gabriele Guidi Colombi, left the group and formed along with other experienced musicians a new band called La Coscienza di Zeno (MySpace).

Neo prog lovers will appreciate Eris Pluvia (MySpace), a band formed in the late eighties and still in activity. In 2010 they released an interesting new album, Third Eye Light. In the same style we find The Ancient Veil (MySpace), formed by one of Eris Pluvia’s founder members, Alessandro Serri, after he left the band. On the initiative of another Eris Pluvia member, Mauro Montobbio, Narrow Pass(Official Website), a band whose roots go back to the eighties, recently reformed. Narrow Pass is the English translation of “Pietre Strette”, a wild an evocative spot on Mount Portofino, not far from Genoa. Their latest album, In This World And Beyond, was released in 2009 and features the collaboration of La Maschera di Cera vocalist Alessandro Corvaglia and Il Tempio delle Clessidre keyboardist Elisa Montaldo.

Another interesting local artist is Giorgio Cesare Neri (MySpace) who in 2009 released his debut album Logos, a work full of vitality and surprises that was conceived as a spiritual path, from birth to the final curtain of death. Giorgio Cesare Neri composed, arranged and recorded all the tracks in his home studio with the collaboration of some guest musicians who helped enrich the sound and the result is quite good. Giorgio Cesare Neri is also one of the founder members of Agarthi Sound Factory (MySpace), a band formed in the mid nineties that had an ephemeral life. In 2008 old members joined again for new projects.

Well, the contemporary prog scene of Genoa is particularly rich and varied, it can satisfy every taste. You can find here other neo prog bands such as Aelian (Official Website) and Trama (founded in the mid nineties and featuring a keyboardist from Chiavari, Luca Scherani - MySpace) or jazz-rock fusion bands as The Great Complotto (MySpace), Cripta (MySpace) and The Presage (MySpace), an old project that guitarist Giacomo Caliolo is trying to revive. Psychedelic rock lovers can listen here to Fungus (MySpace), dark art-rock lovers will surely enjoy an interesting band called Tenebrae (Official Website) while prog folk fans will probably appreciate the solo works by flutist Gian Castello (MySpace) or the dark neo-folk of a band called Tears of Othila (MySpace). Worth mentioning also are the classically inspired works of guitarist Maurizio Oddone (MySpace), the experimental Calomito (MySpace), a post rock band called Hermitage (MySpace) and the emerging Cahier Noir (MySpace), formerly Parànomy, featuring metal influences.

But Liguria is not only Genoa. East of Genoa, from the nearby city of LA SPEZIA come Ancestry (MySpace), and a new promising band called Foresta dell’Equilibrio (MySpace). Then, west of Genoa, there’s SAVONA, which, during the seventies gave us bands such as Corte dei Miracoli and Il Giro Strano. The best known historic band from Savona is The Trip (Official Website), which was formed in the late sixties and reunited in 2010 for some concerts and new projects. Another local band from the seventies, Il Cerchio d’Oro (MySpace), was recently revived and in 2008 released an excellent album, Il viaggio di Colombo. Anyway the prog scene of Savona also features more recent bands. Worth mentioning are some of the many projects of guitarist Fabrizio Bonanno such as Equiseti and the heavier Wounded Knee (MySpace) and a young folk rock band called Il Ponte di Zan (MySpace) whose name was inspired by an old local legend about a haunted bridge. There is also an interesting contemporary band from the nearby town of Varazze, Armalite (MySpace). In 2008 they contributed to the project of Colossus/Musea, Inferno - A Progressive Rock Epic with their symphonic sound, mostly inspired by Genesis and Marillion.

Last but not least the province of IMPERIA, on the border with France. This is the setting, in the imaginary town of Ombrosa, of Il barone rampante, a wonderful novel by Italian writer Italo Calvino. Nearby the city of Imperia there’s Sanremo, a town famous for its flowers and as host to Sanremo Music Festival, a song contest that is considered almost a sanctuary of the “canzone italiana”, the traditional melodic Italian song. Nonetheless during the seventies this area also gave us prog bands such as Il Sistema, Celeste and Museo Rosenbach (Official Website). On the initiative of founder member Alberto Moreno Museo Rosenbach began a new life in the nineties with a different line-up. Another former member of Museo Rosenbach, drummer Giancarlo Golzi, in the mid seventies joined three former members of J.E.T. (Piero Cassano, Carlo Marrale and Aldo Stellitta) and is still active with a band based in Genoa called Matia Bazar, definitely more pop oriented. A neo-prog band called Nostalgia (MySpace) also come from this town but for prog lovers today Sanremo is above all the city of the independent label specialized in progressive rock, Mellow Records, founded by Mauro Moroni and former Celeste member and solo artist Ciro Perrino (MySpace).

PIEMONTE and VALLE D’AOSTA

And now we head north to PIEMONTE and to its capital TURIN, the first capital of Italy. This city is well known for its automobile industry, for landmarks such as the Mole Antonelliana and as home to the Shroud. Here there’s another interesting, busy prog scene. The best known prog band from Turin are Arti e Mestieri (MySpace), formed in 1974 and still active today. Some offshoots of this band are active as well as Esagono (MySpace), formed in the seventies by former Arti e Mestieri member Marco Gallesi that recently reunited and Venegoni & Co. (MySpace) formed by former guitarist of Arti e Mestieri Gigi Venegoni. In Turin there are also the headquarters of the independent label specialized in progressive rock Electromantic Music, founded by Arti e Mestieri keyboardist, leader and solo artist Beppe Crovella (MySpace). Beppe Crovella also started some side-projects that should be of some interest to prog lovers such as Tower, Mosaic, Secret Cinema and Romantic Warriors. The latest in order of time is a psychedelic project called Steeo (ReverbNation).

Arti e Mestieri is not the only local band formed in the seventies that continues to play. Recently, on the initiative of guitarist Roby Munciguerra, Procession (MySpace) have been reformed with a renewed line-up and in 2007 released an album featuring new songs and old stuff with new arrangements, Esplorare, while another former Procession guitarist, Marcello Capra (MySpace), in 1978 started a solo career and is still active today. Other active bands whose roots date back to the seventies are, Aquael a.k.a. Maury e i Pronomi (MySpace), Mass Media (MySpace), Sintesi (ReverbNation) and, from the nearby town of Pinerolo, Dedalus (Official Website). In the past Turin also gave us bands such as Circus 2000, Errata Corrige, Gli Alluminogeni, Aton’s, Horus, Zauber, Clarion, Circle Of Fairies, Fancyfluid, Abiogenesi, Empire, Sačka, Camera Astralis, Pictures and Contrappunto. By the way, Aton’s were formed in 1977 and are not active anymore, but their leader Pietro Ratto (MySpace) started a solo career and in 2009 released an album in the same vein as his old band, Il folle. Another interesting band from Turin with a long career is Calliope (Official Website) that began life in 1989. After a long pause they are now working on new projects. 1989 also saw the formation of Syndone (Official Website) who recently reformed after a long hiatus on the initiative of keyboardist and composer Nick Comoglio. In 2010 they released a new album, Melapesante.

Of course, the prog scene of the city is not stuck in the past. Close to Turin lies Venaria Reale from where comes a whole progressive rock orchestra, Ainur (MySpace), whose music has been inspired by the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. They have released three albums so far, the latest in 2009, entitled Lay Of Leithian. From a prog orchestra we pass to a project which sets out to compose, perform and record rock operas. Euthymia (MySpace) were formed in 2008 and in 2010 they released their first rock opera featuring strong seventies influences, L’ultima illusione, on the independent label Electromantic. Then, among the emerging prog artists and bands from Turin there is the very promising Baroque (MySpace) that started their activity in 2004. After many intense, sparkling live performances in 2009 they released their debut album, La fiaba della buonanotte, on the French label Musea Records. Baroque have a funny and very theatrical approach that leads to an amazing musical delirium full of irony and interesting intuitions. Despite the name, do not expect to listen to a clone of PFM or to a “baroque music ensemble veined with rock” but to an original band full of energy and ready to start a sonic assault on conventions. Other local contemporary prog bands and projects that deserve mentioning are N.y.X. (MySpace), Orchestre Celesti (MySpace), Janice Lintner (ReverbNation), Le Ceneri di Alice (MySpace), Chiave di Es (MySpace), Ombraluce (Official Website), The U.K.O. (MySpace), and Eyering (MySpace). Last but not least, in my opinion the prog influenced singer song-writer Davide Tosches (MySpace) and the metal troubadours Lou Quinse (MySpace) might be of some interest to prog lovers.

Anyway, Turin is not the only city in Piemonte which can boast interesting prog bands. The birthplace of Italian writer Umberto Eco, ALESSANDRIA, about 90 km south-west from Turin, saw the formation of a band called Quo Modo Vitae (MySpace) in the seventies. They never had the chance to record an album then and it’s a pity but recently some of the old members joined up again to play live and to work on new and old pieces and, well, I think it would be high time for a debut album! In Alessandria we can also listen to the excellent Imagin’Aria (MySpace), to the projects of guitarist Cristiano Mussi (MySpace) and to some emerging bands such as the melodic Roccaforte (MySpace), the heavier Anziana Regina (MySpace) and the psychedelic Cosa Rara (MySpace). In the nearby town of Casale Monferrato we can listen to a melodic prog band called Abaco (MySpace). Another town in the province of Alessandria, Tortona, in the early seventies gave us a band called I Leoni while now it’s the time of the heavy and dark Ufomammut (MySpace).

And now to ASTI, about 55 km south-east of Turin which in the seventies gave us Locanda delle Fate (Official Website). After an ephemeral reunion in the late nineties the band is now back with a renewed line-up and in summer 2010 they played their first concert since the late seventies. Former Locanda delle Fate keyboardist and composer Michele Conta (MySpace) has not taken part in the reunion and is working on a solo project. Asti was also home to Archensiel, an interesting prog-folk band that in 1989 released a beautiful album, Piöva, re-released by Akarma in 2004. Archensiel guitarist Massimo Brignolo is now in the new line of Locanda delle Fate. The prog scene from Asti can also boast the emerging Fata dell’Ombra (MySpace) and the interesting Cantina Sociale (MySpace) that in 2009 released an excellent album entitled Cum Lux. Cantina Sociale’s singer Iano Nicolò (MySpace) is also the singer in the new line-up of Arti e Mestieri.

Well, almost every city in Piemonte gave birth to at least one prog band that is worth listening to. In CUNEO we find the folk-jazz Falafel Project (MySpace) and Pandora (Official Website) that after an amazing debut album for BTF in 2011 released a sophomore album entitled Sempre e ovunque oltre il sogno. From Bra, a town 50 km south of Turin and 50 km north-east of Cuneo, there comes Colster (MySpace), an emerging band influenced by psychedelic sounds. BIELLA in the seventies gave us Odissea while today it is home to a folk-jazz project called Abnoba (MySpace) and an interesting band called The Mellon (MySpace), inspired by esoteric and dark atmospheres. Then, from VERCELLI come the veterans Il Castello di Atlante (Official Website), formed in the seventies and still in perfect shape. Another local band of great experience is the neo-prog Arcansiel (MySpace) whose roots go back to the eighties. Arcansiel’s leader, Paolo Baltaro (MySpace), in 2009 released a solo album on Musea Records. The province of Vercelli, to be more exact an area called Valsesia, is also home to an emerging band called Coma Berenices (MySpace). From NOVARA comes Consorzio Acqua Potabile (Official Website), a band formed in 1971 and still active today while from Domodossola, a town in the province of VERBANO-CUSIO-OSSOLA comes the psychedelic King Suffy Generator (MySpace). By the way, Domodossola is also the birth place of Alberto Fortis, a famous Italian singer songwriter whose first two albums might be of some interest to prog lovers.

To conclude our visit through far North-West Italy, we go to AOSTA, the capital of the autonomous region VALLE D'AOSTA. Here during the seventies Paradiso a Basso Prezzo were based while now the city is home to I Treni all’Alba (MySpace) that were formed between Aosta and Turin in 2002. All the members of the band are experienced musicians with different influences and in 2008 they released their first full length album, Folk Destroyers, on the independent label Smartz Records. Each track is illustrated in the beautiful booklet with a drawing by the painter Domenico Sorrenti and the music flows away as in a long suite where quiet acoustic and folky passages melt into fiery percussion rides and vice versa. The name of the band, I Treni All’Alba, means “the trains at dawn...”.

LOMBARDIA

Now we head East, to LOMBARDIA and to its capital MILAN where you can find one of the most important musical scenes in Italy. Milan is known throughout the world for landmarks such as its Gothic Cathedral and the temple of Italian opera, La Scala. It was from here that what is probably the most famous Italian progressive rock band, Premiata Forneria Marconi (Official Website), took off in the late sixties. This band is still in perfect shape, especially on stage, and in 2010 released a new album, A.D. 2010 - La buona novella, a remake of a concept album by Fabrizio De Andrè inspired by the apocryphal gospels. Another band that started its career in the late sixties and that is still active today with a renewed line-up are I Giganti (Official Website) but their repertoire now is more focused on the “beat” stuff they released in the sixties than on their absolute masterpiece Terra in bocca. In 2009 the original album (plus a bonus track) was re-released along with a book of 272 pages, Terra in bocca - Quando i Giganti sfidarono la mafia, and in 2010 all the original members of the band (except the late Sergio Di Martino) reunited just to perform the whole work in theatres. By the way, former member of I Giganti, Mino Di Martino, who was also involved in other projects during the seventies such as the experimental Albergo Intergalattico Spaziale and Telaio Magnetico, now leads a prog folk project called Il Compleanno di Mary (MySpace). Two other bands that were formed in the late sixties in Milan and that are still active are I Dik Dik (Official Website) and Formula 3 (MySpace). Both bands collaborated in the seventies with famous singer-songwriter Lucio Battisti and now their repertoire is more focused on the songs written by Battisti and lyricist Mogol than on their short prog period.

In this city Antonio Bartoccetti and Doris Norton started their long artistic partnership at the end of the sixties as Jacula. They are still active today as Antonius Rex (Official Website) and their last album, Per Viam, where dark music flows away like the soundtrack of a horror movie or a thriller, was released in 2009 on the independent label Black Widow. Recently two of the many outstanding one-shot bands that were formed in Milan during the seventies, Maxophone (Official Website) and Alphataurus (Official Website), also reunited for some concerts and new projects. Amongst the seventies bands from Milan that are no longer active (although a reunion in some cases is always possible) and deserve mentioning are Pholas Dactylus, Alusa Fallax, De De Lind, Jumbo, Aktuala, Ricordi d’Infanzia and Il Volo.

Another band of veterans that in some way is still active arethe Stormy Six. Stormy Six were formed in Milan in the sixties as a “beat band” and were later involved in the political movements of the left wing. They were also among the founders of the Rock in Opposition movement. In recent years they joined up again for some live performances with a repertoire more focused on their prog folk albums rather than on their experimental period. Former singer of Stormy Six Umberto Fiori recently started an acoustic project along with guitarist Luciano Margorani called simply Fiori & Margorani (MySpace) while one of the founder members of the band, Franco Fabbri, now is a well known musicologist and teaches at University. Area, along with Stormy Six, were one of the most radical and committed bands of the seventies scene, linked to the left wing movements. Recently the band reformed without the late singer Demetrio Stratos and the late drummer Giulio Capiozzo but the atmosphere of their concerts is rather different from the seventies and the music is all that matters now. Keyboardist Paolo Fariselli (Official Website) has also released some interesting solo albums while guitarist Paolo Tofani (MySpace) is still active too as a solo artist but he has radically changed life style and is now a follower of the Hare Krishna movement. Former bassist of the Stormy Six Claudio Rocchi (Official Website), who in the past was also involved with the Hare Krishna movement, in the seventies started a solo career as a singer-songwriter releasing some albums that should be of interest to prog lovers. Other singer-songwriters of the seventies Milanese scene that are still in activity and that should be of interest to prog lovers are Claudio Fucci (MySpace) and Eugenio Finardi (Official Website).

However progressive rock in Milan was not dead on the wane of the seventies and the current musical scene of the city features many very interesting bands that keep up the flag of prog. You can find here some good “neo-prog” groups such as Edera (MySpace), H20 (who formed in 1977 although they couldn’t release their debut album until 1997) and the “Genesis-like” The Watch (Official Website), born from the ashes of a band called The Night Watch. A recent solo project in “Genesis style” is also that of Alessandro Farinella (MySpace), former member of Theatre, helped by Silvio Masanotti, former guitarist and composer of Tale Cue. From an idea of Francesco Zago, former member of the aforementioned The Night Watch, an interesting project was launched that blends classic symphonic rock with avant-garde, Yugen (MySpace). Other local bands with a strong avant-garde taste are the Allegri Leprotti (MySpace) and Nichelodeon (MySpace). Nichelodeon, a “chemical laboratory engaged in performing audio-visual crafts”, are mainly the brainchild of Claudio Milano, vocalist and composer who started to work on it in 1997. In September 2010 the independent label Lizard Records released their first studio album, Il gioco del silenzio, featuring many guest musicians and an extremely rich and colourful overall sound. Well, experimental music is not everyone’s cup of tea but in this case the result is a well balanced concoction of styles that gives strength to the poetical content of the lyrics.

On the prog folk side there are Reverie (MySpace), a band formed on the initiative of composer and guitarist Valerio Vado, former member of the symphonic-prog band Lethe. Prog folk lovers might find some interest also in the West-Coast influenced Come le Foglie (MySpace) who began life in the seventies although they never had the chance to release an album then. Recently they met again and in 2010 finally released an album on AMS/BTF, Aliante, featuring old stuff and new pieces.

With a more conventional Italian prog-style we can find Filoritmia (Official Website), who in 2009 released the excellent Passaggi and Ubi Maior (MySpace) who in 2009 released the very good, Senza tempo. Ubi Maior’s keyboardist Gabriele Manzini recently started a solo project called Archangel(MySpace). From Milan there also comes an interesting rock-opera composer, Marco Burgatto (MySpace), whose projects feature Ubi Maior’s rhythm section. An interesting new band that draws on seventies influences is Calibro 35 (Official Website) who take inspiration from the soundtracks of the seventies Italian B-movies about crime and violence, a genre usually called Poliziottesco. Calibro 35 recorded some covers from the seventies and some original tracks in the same style and released an eponymous debut album in 2008, followed by an excellent sophomore one in 2010, Ritornano quelli di... Calibro 35.

Milan also gave us the symphonic prog project Gan Eden - Il Giardino delle Delizie (MySpace) and a band now based in London that in 2009 released a debut album for BTF in pure Rock Progressivo Italiano old-style, Il Ruscello (MySpace). With a sharper sound and some hints of metal then there are VIII Strada (MySpace) who had the chance to play live also with Area’s Patrizio Fariselli as a special guest, and Anacondia (MySpace). Anacondia’s guitarist Walter Marocchi is also involved in an interesting jazz-rock side-project called Walter Marocchi Mala Hierba (MySpace). If you love mystical atmospheres and a dark sound, try Il Ballo delle Castagne (MySpace). The name of the band means “The Chestnuts Ball” and it was inspired by a legend involving Pope Alexander VI (1431-1503) and his questionable habits: the “Chestnuts Ball” was a kind of “Satanic Sabbath” where naked women used to dance in the light of chandeliers picking up chestnuts from the floor with their mouths. In 2011 they released an interesting album on the independent label Hau Ruck S.P.Q.R., distributed by Black Widow Records. It’s a concept album titled Kalachakra inspired by Wheel of Time, a documentary film by Werner Herzog.

Other interesting local bands that deserve mentioning are the theatrical, amusing Il Babau e i Maledetti Cretini (MySpace) and the very promising symphonic Imaginaria (MySpace). Well, there’s music for every taste here, from the neo prog of Anomalia (MySpace), Natural Mystic (MySpace), Nomalia (MySpace), Soulengine (MySpace), The Redzen (MySpace), Riddle (MySpace), Ad Maiora (MySpace), to the folk jazz of Dissoi Logoi (MySpace), the fusion of Lalucecontro (MySpace), the psychedelic Giöbia (MySpace), the melodic Psicosuono (MySpace) and Althea (MySpace), and the metal influenced Atlantis 1001 (MySpace), Dagorlad Battleplain (MySpace) and Pindaric Flight (MySpace). In Milan you can find also the headquarters of the independent label BTF, specialized in Italian progressive rock and some venues with a strong leaning to progressive as La casa di Alex.

And now let’s visit the other cities of Lombardia. Nearby Milan there’s MONZA, in the Brianza area, best known for hosting every year the Formula 1 Grand Prix. In the seventies E.A.Poe came from here while now it’s the time of Zita Ensemble (MySpace), an instrumental project that blends progressive, jazz and psychedelic influences, and of the “Celtic rage” of the folk metal Furor Gallico (MySpace). The nearby town of Meda is home to Forza Elettro Motrice (F.E.M.) (MySpace), a promising emerging band that in 2011 released an interesting demo titled Sulla bolla di sapone inspired by a science-fiction story by German writer Kurd Lasswitz (1848 – 1910).

About 55 km North-West from Milan lies VARESE, which in the seventies gave us Cincinnato and Hunka Munka. In Varese today we can listen to Court (Official Website), a band formed in 1990 by five skilled young musicians. In 2007 they won the Los Angeles Music Award as the best Alternative Artist with their third album Frost Of Watermelon, released ten years after Court’s previous work. Their “recipe” is tasty and well balanced, the band is not stuck in the past and you can find in this work not only echoes of Genesis and Pink Floyd but also some particular, “grungy” passages. Other interesting bands from the province of Varese are Ske (MySpace), a side project of Yugen keyboardist Paolo “Ske” Botta” who in 2011 released an album titled 1000 autunni, then Atto IV (ReverbNation), Ego (MySpace), Sirena (MySpace) and a hard-psychedelic band called Emmablu (MySpace). Almost half way between Milan and Varese there’s a little town called Cuggiono, birthplace of the Italian minstrel Angelo Branduardi (Official Website).

About 45 km north of Milan lies COMO, on the western arm of Lake Como. From here there comes the “prog chamber music” of Gatto Marte (Official Website) and the symphonic prog of Mogador (ReverbNation), an interesting band with many seventies influences. Como is not far from the border between Italy and Switzerland, so I think it’s worth taking the chance to cross the border and go up to LUGANO to find a “non Italian Italianprog band”, Aliperdute. It’s a pity that this band is not active at the moment, but luckily their music is still available in free legal download from the site cantine.org so take your time, relax for awhile, and listen (click here) .

On the other arm of Lake Como lies LECCO, the city where a famous novel by the Italian writer Alessandro Manzoni, I promessi sposi, is set. In the seventies Lecco gave us the “Christian prog” band Messaggio ‘73 and Biglietto per l’Inferno (Official Website). Biglietto per l’Inferno started their activity in 1972 and, until they split up at the end of 1975, they were a terrific band on stage. In 2007 on the initiative of original members Giuseppe “Pilly” Cossa (piano, accordion) and Mauro Gnecchi (drums, percussion) a new project called Biglietto per l’Inferno.folk was formed for some live performances featuring the old repertoire of the band and in 2009 a new album was released on the independent label BTF featuring new arrangements of the historic pieces, Tra l’assurdo e la ragione. The original vocalist Claudio Canali retired from ordinary life and today he’s a monk of the Order of Saint Benedict, so the lead vocals are now provided by a female singer, Mariolina Sala. Anyway the old singer gave his blessing to the new project and “Fra’” Claudio appears as a special guest on two tracks of the album. Another original member of the band, Giuseppe “Baffo” Banfi, features as producer and helped the band in studio. I have to say that the new project is excellent, the new arrangements feature folk influences but respect the spirit of the old compositions and the result is a well crafted, balanced mix of fresh sounds and vintage suggestions. As in the past, the concerts are still the band’s pillar of strength and their performances attract many people, so old and young enthusiastic fans are pushing the band to go on. In fact, the new project is not a boring unplugged version of the old band but a lively act still able to stir emotions. By the way, former bassist of Biglietto per l’Inferno, Fausto Branchini, takes no part in the new project but he has not given up music and is working on a rock opera under the name Fausto Branchini - Biglietto per l’Inferno. Other contemporary prog bands from Lecco, with a heavier sound influenced by metal, are Evil Wings (MySpace) whose vocalist and guitarist features also in the new line-up of Il Biglietto per l’Inferno.folk, Willow (MySpace), Leader Braun (MySpace), Drivhell (MySpace) and Dropshard (Official Website).

From Lecco, heading north east, we go now to SONDRIO, a town situated in Valtellina, in the heart of the Alps, which during the seventies gave us a band called La Pentola di Papin. Today it’s the time of the jazz-rock sound of Fetish Panda (MySpace).

From Sondrio we head south to BERGAMO, the birthplace of the famous opera composer Gaetano Donizetti. Today in Bergamo opera and prog can merge with the operatic vocals of tenor Mauro Ghilardini and his prog opera project Minstrel (Official Website). In the past Bergamo gave us bands such as I Raminghi, Madrugada, Perdio and Mo.Do. Now we find bands such as the excellent La Torre dell’Alchimista (Official Website), Prowlers (MySpace) and Tilion (MySpace). Prowlers’ and Tilion’s keyboardist Alfio Costa (MySpace) recently also started two side projects, one is the symphonic Colossus Project (MySpace) that in 2010 released a debut album on Musea Records while the other is the more experimental Daal (MySpace) featuring Roman drummer Davide Guidoni. Bergamo is also home to two interesting folk rock bands, Lingalad (Official Website), a band inspired by the work of J.R.R. Tolkien who in 2010 released a good album on Lizard Records, La locanda del vento, and the folk-metal Folk Stone (MySpace). Other local bands that deserve mentioning in my opinion are Heliantus (MySpace) and Darshan (MySpace).

Not far from Bergamo lies BRESCIA, known as the “Leonessa d’Italia” (the Lioness of Italy) after ten days of popular uprising that took place in the city in the spring of 1849 against Austrian rule. From here in the seventies there came a band called Dalton. For prog lovers now Brescia is the city of bands such as Notabene (MySpace), Corte Aulica (MySpace) and other projects of drummer and composer Gustavo Pasini, such as Lithos and Alma Sideris (MySpace). When visiting Brescia, have a break and listen to some good music while having a drink or eating something at the Canterbury Café, the owner is Gustavo Pasini himself. From Brescia come also one of the most interesting emerging bands of the Italian prog scene, Del Maiale Non Si Butta Via Niente (MySpace) who are working on their debut album, then Moog (Official Website), the prog folk La Cantina di Ermete (Official Website) and Diamante (MySpace), heavy prog oozing love for Uriah Heep. Chiari, a town nearby Brescia, is the birthplace of musician, composer, producer and former PFM member Mauro Pagani (Official Website). Well, in Chiari there was a bakery called Forneria Marconi that inspired the name of the most famous Italianprog band. In 2009 Mauro Pagani also wrote a novel set in the Italian prog scene of the seventies, Foto di gruppo con chitarrista.

Back west now, to PAVIA, 35 km south of Milan, which in the past gave us I Numi, Armonite and a band linked to the right wing movements called Acroama (MySpace). Well, Acroama recently reformed and are working on new stuff. Today here we can also listen to the prog folk of Andrea Vercesi (MySpace) and, from an area called Lomellina, to a young band called Corvi di Pietra (MySpace). Nearby Pavia, in the town of Vigevano there are the headquarters of the independent label Ma.Ra.Cash Records, specialized in prog. Vigevano is also the hometown of bands such as Mary Newsletter (MySpace) and Jester’s Joke. Then, east of Pavia lies LODI where we can listen to Liquid Clock (MySpace), a band that have been active since 2007 blending jazz/rock and funky grooves with many other influences. In 2010 they released their first self-produced album, Sense of self.

Still heading east we reach CREMONA, best known for its musical instrument manufacturer: this is the city of the Amati family, Guarneri and Stradivari. Here we can listen to prog bands and artists such as Mappe Nootiche (MySpace), Master Prova (MySpace) and Mario Cottarelli (MySpace) while the nearby town of Crema in the recent past gave us a band called Vedda Tribe. Still heading east we conclude our visit to Lombardia in MANTOVA, the city of the classical Roman poet Virgil. Here there are based bands such as Moongarden (MySpace), Submarine Silence (MySpace), Obscura (MySpace), Catafalchi del Cyber (MySpace) and the psychedelic Baba Jaga (MySpace).

VENETO

We visit now VENETO starting from its particular, beautiful capital built on the lagoon, VENICE, the city of artists and adventurers such as Antonio Vivaldi, Tomaso Albinoni, Carlo Goldoni, Tintoretto, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, Canaletto, Giacomo Casanova and Marco Polo. The most famous prog band from Venice are Le Orme (Official fanclub) who started their career in 1966 and are still active and in perfect shape although they recently went through some line-up troubles. The current line-up features the veterans Michi Dei Rossi and Michele Bon while the new vocalist is Davide “Jimmy” Spitaleri from Metamorfosi. In 2011 with the renewed line-up Le Orme released an excellent brand new album, La via della seta. By the way, new Le Orme’s bass player Fabio Trentini also leads a side project in a prog pop vein called Moonbound (MySpace). Le Orme’s original vocalist and bass player Aldo Tagliapietra (Official Website) left the band in 2010 but he’s still active as a solo artist and recently teamed up with two other former members of the band, keyboardist Tony Pagliuca (Official Website) and guitarist Tolo Marton (Official Website) for some concerts. Tony Pagliuca left the band in 1992 for a solo career and in 2010 released an interesting album, featuring piano solo versions of some pieces taken from the old repertoire of the band, entitled Après midi – Ormeggiando while Tolo Marton left Le Orme in 1975 for a solo career as a blues-rock guitarist.

By the way, in 1979 Le Orme dedicated an album, Florian, to a famous café of Piazza San Marco, the Caffé Florian, where you can listen to classical chamber music while sipping a drink. Such an atmosphere perfectly fits also the recent works of Venetian pianist and composer Luciano Basso (Official Website), who in the seventies released some interesting prog albums. Another excellent historic local band still in activity are Opus Avantra (Official Website), led by vocalist Donella Del Monaco. They recently released a DVD recorded live in Japan, Viaggio Immaginario – Live in Tokyo. Opus Avantra also recently availed itself of the help of flutist Mauro Martello who is behind a project called Sidera Noctis (MySpace) which should be of interest to prog folk lovers.

In the past Venice gave us also bands such as Il Mucchio, I Cocai, Spirosfera and Bondage. Another experienced band from Venice are Quanah Parker (Official Website), formed in 1981 and reformed in 2005 after a long hiatus. The eighties also saw the formation of Lost Tales who are still active although they have released only one album so far. Other contemporary local bands that deserve mentioning are the jazz-rock oriented PostMeridiem (MySpace), the experimental Litai (MySpace), the eclectic Egonon (Official Website), the neo prog Allen Grey (MySpace) and a dark electro acoustic project called Unfolk (MySpace) while from the nearby town of San Donà di Piave comes Lorenzo Monni (Official Website), a multi instrumentalist with a classical background who blends classical influences with rock and electronics in an original way. In 2010 he released an interesting, challenging instrumental album entitled The Swans Of Extremistan.

North of Venice lies TREVISO, which in the past gave us prog bands such as Capsicum Red, Asgard and Apryl. Today here we can find Faveravola (Official Website), a band formed by some veterans who have been active since the seventies and who in 2007 released the beautiful concept album Contea dei cento castagni. Interesting contemporary bands from this city are also Aphelion (MySpace), an instrumental project featuring metal influences, and Magnetic Sound Machine (MySpace), highly recommended to jazz-rock lovers. Other bands from Treviso that deserve mentioning are Antilabé (MySpace), Geo’s (MySpace) and Synderesi (MySpace). In Treviso there are also the headquarters of the independent label specialized in prog Lizard Records. Then, from the nearby town of Montebelluna comes bass player and composer Alberto Rigoni (MySpace) while from a beautiful place north of Treviso, Cison di Valmarino, comes an interesting melodic prog band called Ephemeris (MySpace). Leaving Treviso, still heading north we enter the province of BELLUNO and the amazing alpine area of the Dolomiti, where we can listen to Idea Ostile (MySpace) and to a young prog band called John Silver Band (MySpace).

And now back south, to PADUA, the city of Saint Anthony, 40 km west of Venice. Padua is also the birth place of the famous architect Andrea Palladio, whose XVIth century villas in the area of Padua, Venice, Vicenza and Treviso are amongst the most beautiful of Italy, and of Giovanni Battista Belzoni, adventurer, engineer and Egyptologist to whom is dedicated a new concept album by the prog band from Turin Arti e Mestieri, Il grande Belzoni. In the past Padua gave us bands such as Eneide, Mellonta Tauta and Audio while the contemporary prog scene features bands such as the folk jazz Calicanto (Official Website), the psychedelic Astralia (MySpace),, Laatia (MySpace) and Hypnoise (MySpace), the metal influenced Centrica (MySpace) and Twinspirits (MySpace). In the seventies one of the very few bands linked to the right wing movement, La Compagnia dell’Anello (Official Website), also began life here. The band is still in activity and they’re working on a new album. According to some interviews with the band, it will be a self produced double album in two parts. The first will be heavily prog influenced and will feature a concept inspired by the work of the poet Ezra Pound. The second will feature some new tracks and old unreleased stuff re-arranged. At the moment a new track is available, a piece dedicated to a pilot of the Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana, Giovanni Battista Boscutti, who died in 1944 fighting against the Allied forces that were bombarding the city of Padua

South of Padua lies ROVIGO where we can listen to a good contemporary band called Anfiteatro (MySpace). Here there started an interesting band called A Piedi Nudi. Their guitarist, Nicola Gardinale, has changed musical direction and has formed a blues-rock project called Nic-G And The Mogsy (MySpace).

Leaving Rovigo, we head now back north to VICENZA, which in the past gave us bands such as Abissi Infiniti and Top Left Corner. Now it’s the time of Absenthia (Official Website), an excellent band that combines tradition with heavier sounds and in 2009 released an excellent self produced debut album, Tenebrae Vinc**t. Not far from Vicenza, in a town called Bassano del Grappa, which in the past gave us bands such as Antephonia and Slogans, you can find a very good CD shop, Pick Up Records.

We conclude our visit to Veneto in VERONA, the city of Romeo and Juliet, also known for its landmark ancient Roman amphitheatre, the Verona Arena, which is internationally famous for its large-scale opera performances. You can find here a good contemporary prog scene featuring excellent bands such as the jazz rock D.F.A. (MySpace), Logos (Official Website) and Astrolabio (MySpace), a new band born from the ashes of Elettrosmog (MySpace), a band that in 2007 released an interesting album entitled Monologando. Other prog bands from Verona are the neo prog Marygold (Official Website) and Iperuranio (Official Website), the young and very promising Gran Torino (MySpace) and Side C (MySpace), the experimental Reqviem (MySpace) and Le Maschere di Clara (MySpace), then Oltremare (MySpace), Calia (MySpace), D’Anima (MySpace), Castelli in Aria (MySpace), Masons (MySpace), Il Fauno di Marmo (MySpace), the metal influenced Methodica (MySpace) and the folk-oriented Domus de Janas (MySpace). A good venue for prog lovers in this area is the Club il Giardino.

Until 1918 Trento, Bolzano, Gorizia and Trieste were part of the Austro–Hungarian Empire. So, now we cross an inmaginary bridge and go to TRIESTE, the far east of Northern Italy, on the border with Slovenia, a city loved by the Irish writer James Joyce who taught English here between 1904 and 1920. From Trieste, that now is the capital of the Italian autonomous region FRIULI-VENEZIA GIULIA, there comes Gino D’Eliso (MySpace), a singer-songwriter who in 1976 released a very interesting album with strong prog influences, Il mare. This city is also home to composer and guitarist Alfredo Lacosegliaz, who in the late seventies played in a short-lived project called Ensemble Havadià closely related to the Stormy Six’s label L’Orchestra. He’s still active with a solo career and a new project called the Alfredo Lacosegliaz Patchwork Ensemble that should be of interest to prog folk lovers. In 2010 they released an album called Pan duro and in 2011 another interesting one, Hypnos. The most famous contemporary prog band from Trieste are Rhapsody Of Fire (Official Website), influenced by heavy metal and classical music. There are also other interesting prog bands here such as the metal influenced Sinestesia (MySpace) and Notturna (MySpace) or the more original J’Accuse..! (MySpace) who in 2008 released an excellent debut album on Mellow Records, Abbandono del tempo e delle forme. Other local prog bands and artists are the prog-pop Proteo (MySpace), the “klezmer prog” Passover (MySpace), the neo prog of the young multi instrumentalist and composer Luigi De Santi (ReverbNation), the experimental solo project of composer Sandro Glavina called L’Uomo e l’Ombra (ReverbNation), the prog-jazz Frequency On Border (MySpace) and the heavier Soundrise (MySpace).

Not far from Trieste heading north along the border with Slovenia we reach GORIZIA, on the banks of the river Isonzo, home to Cooperativa del Latte and a very interesting emerging band called The Rebus (MySpace). We can now cross the old border between Austria-Hungary and Italy and go to UDINE which in the past gave us a project called Nascita della Sfera. The current prog scene of this city features bands such as the jazz-rock Assolo di Bongo (Official Website), the classically influenced Quasar Lux Symphoniae (Official Website), the folk prog La Munglesa(MySpace), the instrumental jazz folk Démodé (MySpace), the jazz rock So What (MySpace), the psychedelic Aiperion (MySpace) and Haab Cycle (MySpace), who were born from the ashes of another psychedelic band called Astral Loom (MySpace). South of Udine, there is Cervignano del Friuli, near the ruins of the ancient Roman city of Aquileia, home to the neo prog Linea Nazca (MySpace) and two metal influenced bands, the young Azure Agony (MySpace) and the veterans Garden Wall (MySpace), a band that have been active since the late eighties.

Now we jump over to EMILIA-ROMAGNA and its capital BOLOGNA, famous for its University, the oldest in Europe, and its cuisine. In the past the city gave us a band called Sensitiva Immagine, but in the seventies the prog scene of this city was not very prolific although Bologna is the home of important singer-songwriters such as Francesco Guccini, Lucio Dalla and Claudio Lolli. Times have changed and now the musical scene of Bologna features many very interesting prog bands. Here we can find some excellent experimental jazz rock bands such as Deus Ex Machina (MySpace) and Accordo dei Contrari (Official Website) or psychedelic projects such as Stereokimono (Official Website), Ellephant (MySpace), Mariposa (MySpace), Chandra (MySpace) and Alhambra (MySpace). Alhambra’s leader Andrea Monetti (who plays the flute in La Maschera di Cera’s albums as well) also started other projects such as Amanita, Arjuna, Ku and AMR and leads a small independent label called Fly Agaric! Records. Another excellent band from Bologna are Sithonia (MySpace), whose members are also involved in interesting side projects such as Meseglise (MySpace) and Sipario (MySpace). Other very interesting local bands are Akt (MySpace), Barock Project (MySpace), Stranafonia (MySpace) and TenMidnight (MySpace). Among the local emerging bands which also deserve mentioning, in no particular order, are Moorder (MySpace), Antikythera Mechanism (MySpace), Madre (MySpace), Chance:Risiko (MySpace), Alma Ensemble (MySpace), Semeion (MySpace), Prophexy (MySpace) and AltaVia (MySpace), the latter born from the ashes of a band called Zabov (Official Website) and formerly named Ennerdale. If you like a heavier, theatrical approach you can listen to In Tormentata Quiete (MySpace), certainly closer to Opeth than to the classic Italianprog masters. On the prog folk side there are La Via della Seta (MySpace), Caffé dei Treni Persi (MySpace) and Antica Tradizione (MySpace), the latter linked to right wing movements. Bologna is also the base for an Italianprog artist from Switzerland, Alex Carpani (Official Website): his latest album The Sanctuary, released in 2010, features a beautiful art cover by Paul Whitehead.

The contemporary prog scene of Bologna is effervescent and rich but you can find some good music also in the other cities of the region. From a small town south of Bologna, Porretta Terme, comes the singer-songwriter Stefano Testa (MySpace) and his excellent “prog cantautorale”. From FERRARA, 50 km north of Bologna, come the young, hard Liquid Shades (MySpace) and a post rock band called Penelope sulla Luna (MySpace) while the nearby town of Cento is home to a band called Cormorano (MySpace), strongly influenced by Area. Cormorano’s singer and leader, Raffaello Regoli, had the chance to meet Area’s singer Demetrio Stratos and to learn singing from him in the seventies. Since 1996 he has organized a music festival dedicated to the “Master of the Voice”, the Rassegna di musica diversa - Omaggio a Demetrio Stratos (Official Website).

South-East of Bologna, in the past the area called ROMAGNA, including the cities of FORLI', CESENA, RAVENNA, RIMINI and the Republic of San Marino, gave us bands such as Guercia and Foglie di Vetro. This area is best known for its discotheques and for its entertainment industry and in the seventies one of these discotheques, L’altro mondo, became famous for the jam sessions of many prog artists. Forlì is the birthplace of guitarist Riccardo Zappa (Official Website), an interesting artist that started his career in the seventies and who is still active today. The current prog scene of Romagna features bands such as the excellent Una Volta Eravamo in Sette (MySpace) who in 2010 released a self produced debut concept album, La ballata del vecchio marinaio, inspired by the poetry of Samuel T. Coleridge, then there are Le Ore Devianti (MySpace), the hard Buttered Bacon Biscuits (MySpace), the psychedelic Kisses From Mars (MySpace), the post rock projects Neil On Impression (MySpace) and Venezia (MySpace), the dark, heavy Witchfield (MySpace) and the prog folk Araba Fenice (MySpace).

And now let’s take the Via Aemilia heading north west and visit the other cities in the region. First we go to MODENA, the city of the famous tenor Luciano Pavarotti and of the painter Walter Mac Mazzieri, whose works appear on some famous prog album covers. Here we can find the hard, psychedelic Donkey Breeder (MySpace). From Modena there also comes a popular folk rock band called Modena City Ramblers (MySpace). Although they can hardly be classified as a prog band, their committed “combat folk” has been very influential on the recent Italian prog-folk scene.

Then we go to REGGIO EMILIA, the birthplace of poet Ludovico Ariosto. This place is home to bands such as Mangala Vallis (Official Website), Trama Sonora (Official Website), Master Experience (MySpace), Arcanoise (MySpace) and a folk rock project called Matelda (MySpace). Not far from Reggio Emilia there is the castle of Canossa. On the initiative of drummer and founder member of Mangala Vallis Gigi Cavalli Cocchi a prog rock opera, Canossa, was released in 2006 which was inspired by the character of Matilda of Canossa, featuring Mangala Vallis, Arcanoise, Master Experience, Trama Sonora and others. By the way, Gigi Cavalli Cocchi has recently teamed up with vocalist Bernardo Lanzetti and keyboardist Cristiano Roversi and now they are working on a new project called Cavalli Cocchi, Lanzetti & Roversi (Facebook). The nearby town of Novellara gave us one of the most popular Italian pop-rock bands, I Nomadi (Official Website) who in the early seventies released (as almost everyone else in Italy in that period) some albums with soft prog influences that might be of interest to prog lovers.

From Reggio Emilia to PARMA, the city of orchestra conductor Arturo Toscanini and of famous opera composer Giuseppe Verdi. In the seventies Parma gave us Rocky’s Filj and Acqua Fragile. Franz Dondi, bassist and founder member of Acqua Fragile is still active and is trying to keep the band alive with a renewed line-up under the name Acqua Fragile Project (MySpace). Other contemporary prog bands from this city are the very interesting Altare Thotemico (MySpace) and the emerging SlideA (MySpace). We conclude our visit to Emilia-Romagna in PIACENZA. The current prog scene of this city features an interesting band, Wicked Minds (MySpace), who started in 1987 as a trash metal act and only in 2000, after keyboardist Paolo “Apollo” Negri had joined with his Hammond, found a “new dimension” which is more hard-progressive oriented and the band has released some very interesting works. Other local bands that deserve mentioning are Mindflower (MySpace), Art And Illusion (MySpace), David’s Lodgers (MySpace) and the experimental Pertegò (MySpace). I also recommend listening to an excellent band called Lagartija (MySpace) and the emerging Big Muff Project (MySpace).

TOSCANA

And now we cross the northern part of the Apennine Mountains and go to TOSCANA and its capital FLORENCE, the cradle of Italian Renaissance. This is the city of artists and personalities such as Dante Alighieri, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Donatello, Sandro Botticelli, Niccolò Machiavelli and Amerigo Vespucci just to name but a few. In the past this city gave us prog bands such as I Califfi, Campo di Marte, Sensations’ Fix, Bella Band,Triade, Standarte, Hopo, Chiave di Volta and Il Trono dei Ricordi. Campo di Marte’s leader Enrico Rosa (MySpace) is still active and every now and again he still performs the old tracks of the band, along with some new stuff. He also started a new jazz blues project called Link XII (MySpace). Founder member of Il Trono dei Ricordi, Alessandro Lamuraglia (MySpace) now is a composer of soundtracks for cinema and TV commercials while his brother and co-founder of the band, Paolo Lamuraglia, started a prog folk project called Carmains Ensemble (MySpace). The best known contemporary prog band from Florence are Nuova Era (MySpace), formed in the eighties and kept alive by keyboardist and leader Walter Pini. In Florence we can also listen to the Gothic prog Goad (Official Website), the dark, hard Sancta Sanctorum (MySpace), the psychedelic London Underground (MySpace) and the folk oriented Bizantina (MySpace) whose repertoire features original tracks and traditional songs from the Mediterranean area re-arranged by the band. Bizantina’s latest work is a musical called Orlando tarantato, inspired by the pupi siciliani. Other local bands that deserve mentioning are Le Porte Non Aperte (MySpace), Magredea (MySpace), Biofonia (MySpace), D.S.B. (MySpace), Enima (MySpace), Etesii (MySpace), MotoreImmobile (MySpace) and the psychedelic Ombra Esterna (MySpace).

But Toscana is not only Florence and in the other cities of the region we can find some interesting prog bands too. A town near Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, is home to a heavy prog band called Juglans Regia (MySpace). They started their activity in 1992 as a metal band (under the name of Raising Fear) but their style changed over the years taking a more progressive direction. In 2008 they released Visioni parallele, their best work so far, featuring some guest musicians on keyboards and back vocals that helped to enrich the overall sound. Heading west we pass through PRATO, home to the experimental Laboratorio del Sogno Lucido (MySpace) and the psychedelic Raven Sad (MySpace). Then we go to PISTOIA where we can find some interesting prog folk bands such as L’Apprendista Bardo (MySpace) and Les Griotes (MySpace), then the psychedelic La Favola di Esis (MySpace) and the melodic Fantasia Pura Italiana (MySpace). Pistoia also gave us the best known accordionist Riccardo Tesi who in tha past started a prog folk project called Ritmia. South of Pistoia lies Empoli where we find a promising band called Opra Mediterranea (MySpace). Then we head north west and pass through the small town of Altopascio where we can listen to a young Christian prog band called S91 (MySpace). Finally we reach LUCCA, birthplace of composers as Giacomo Puccini, Francesco Geminiani and Luigi Boccherini, where we can listen to a particular singer-songwriter who should be of some interest to prog fans, Emanuele Bavieri (MySpace).

On the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea we visit the Province of Massa-Carrara. The city of Carrara, famous for its marble quarries, gave us some interesting prog bands such as the neo prog Cage (MySpace), Lethean (MySpace) and the prog folk Bededeum (MySpace) who in 2009 released an excellent committed album, Oltre il sipario, dedicated to the memory of Sacco and Vanzetti, two Italian anarchists executed without a fair trial in the U.S.A. in 1927. Travelling south we now go to PISA, the city famous for its Leaning Tower and hometown of the physicist, mathematician and astronomer Galileo Galilei, son of lutenist and composer Vincenzo Galilei. The best known artist from this area is probably tenor Andrea Bocelli who reached success withCon te partirò, a piece composed by Francesco Sartori who from 1992 to 1997 was a member of the Venetian prog band Le Orme. Pisa is home to prog bands such as Egoband (MySpace) and Germinale (MySpace). At the moment Germinale are on hold, so their guitarist Salvo Lazzara started an acoustic side project called Pensiero Nomade (MySpace). Other bands from Pisa are the folk prog Filarmonica Municipale Lacrisi (MySpace) and the psychedelic Ceke (MySpace) and Milvus (MySpace) while the nearby town of Volterra is home to the metal influenced Quintessenza (MySpace) and the heavy, bizarre Il Maniscalco Maldestro (MySpace).

From Pisa to LIVORNO, the birthplace of opera composer Pietro Mascagni. In the seventies Livorno gave us Capitolo 6 (but half of the members of the band were from Viareggio). Now it’s the time of some emerging bands such as Alfa Nefer (MySpace) and Est Morgana (MySpace). From the nearby town of Cecina come Decuplico (MySpace), a band formed in the mid eighties who recently reformed. Still heading south we visit GROSSETO, where we can listen to some interesting emerging bands such as Gran Turismo Veloce (MySpace), Gramma (MySpace) and Opificio Sonoro Maremmano (MySpace).

We head north east now, towards the beautiful city of SIENA, best known for a special horse race that dates from the middle-ages, the Palio di Siena. In the seventies Siena gave us an interesting Christian-prog band called Genfuoco (Official Website) who, after a long hiatus, came to life again in 2000 for some live performances. Siena is also the home city of an interesting acoustic project that blends classical and folk, Inchanto (MySpace), and of a well known progressive rock webzine, Arlequins. The Province of Siena is the base for some interesting prog bands such as Profusion (MySpace), in Colle di Val d’Elsa, Zundapp (MySpace), in Chianciano Terme, and Labirinto di Specchi (MySpace), in Chiusi. Still heading north east we conclude our visit to Toscana in AREZZO home to a very promising dark organ driven project called Three Monks (MySpace).

Heading south we pass through the town of Senigallia, where we find a prog folk band called Silverea’s Daffodil (ReverbNation), then we reach ANCONA, the capital of the region. In the seventies this city gave us a jazz rock band called Agorà. Now the prog scene of Ancona features the experimental Garamond (MySpace), and an emerging band called Vicarus (MySpace) while from the nearby town of Chiaravalle come Oloferne (Official Website) who began life in 1999 trying to blend different influences ranging from medieval atmospheres to folk rock and progressive. Since then they have been alternating concerts and activities for theatre maturing a very good experience on stage. In 2008 they released a self-produced album called “Segno d’acqua” which in my opinion is their best so far. Before leaving the province of Ancona we visit the town of Castelfidardo, best known for its Festival Internazionale della Fisarmonica, an international music festival dedicated to the Accordion, and for its Museo della Fisarmonica. Here we can listen to a prog band called Noxter (MySpace).

Still heading south we go to MACERATA where we find a young band called Acid Rain (MySpace). Nearby this city lies Recanati, hometown of poet Giacomo Leopardi and of tenor Beniamino Gigli, which in the past gave us bands such as Lothlorien and Malleus. The current prog scene of the province of Macerata features The M.O.D.S. (MySpace) from the nearby town of Civitanova Marche and Pangaea (MySpace) from Camerino. Then we pass through the province of FERMO where we can listen to the post rock veined of psychedelia of Pineda (Facebook), the new project of Umberto Giardini, a.k.a. Moltheni, an artist from Sant’Elpidio a Mare. We conclude our visit to Le Marche in ASCOLI PICENO where we can listen to the prog fusion of a band called Exprosin (MySpace) and to Paradiso Sotterraneo (MySpace).

UMBRIA

An now we go east, to UMBRIA and to its capital PERUGIA. Perugia is a beautiful city full of art and history but nowadays it’s best known for a mysterious crime that continues to make the highlights of the newspapers, the Murder of Meredith Kercher. Perhaps it is not by chance that an excellent prog band such as Il Bacio della Medusa (MySpace) comes from here. In 2007 they released a wonderful concept album inspired by the dark story of Paolo Malatesta and Francesca da Rimini, Discesa agl’inferi d’un giovane amante. Other contemporary bands from Perugia are Vitalba (MySpace), formed in 1991, which came back to life in 2009 after a long hiatus, the classically inspired This Harmony (MySpace) and the psychedelic Red Onions (MySpace). In the seventies the city gave also us L’Estate di San Martino (Official Website), another band that recently reunited. By the way, Perugia is the home city of Augusto Croce, founder of the site Italianprog.com, a precious resource for Italian prog lovers.

A town north east of Perugia, Gubbio, is home to The Titans (MySpace) that recently released their debut album on Musea Records while the prog guitarist Giampaolo Cavalieri (MySpace) comes from the nearby town of Gualdo Tadino. South east of Perugia there’s Assisi, the birthplace of Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals. From here comes an emerging prog band called Pneuma (MySpace).

Heading south we pass through the town of Foligno with bands such as Melpein (MySpace), In Assenza (MySpace), Niagara (MySpace) and the post rock L’Uomo di Vetro (MySpace). Then we visit Spoleto where a famous summer music and opera festival called the Festival dei Due Mondi is held every year. Here we can listen to Vieux Carrè (MySpace), a band that was formed in 2003 as Chiaroscuro. In 2005 they changed name and released their first self-produced full length album Gli spiriti, i corpi e le menti. They have been influenced by historic progressive bands such as Genesis, BMS and PFM but their music has its own touch of originality and it’s really worth checking out. Spoleto is also home to Alias Mundi (MySpace) and Emisferi Paralleli (MySpace), bands that were born from the ashes of Semi Infermità Mentale (MySpace). Our next stop is TERNI, the city of Saint Valentine, where the prog artist Roberto Vallerignani and his project called UD (MySpace) comes from. We conclude our visit to Umbria in Orvieto where we can listen to a band called Gerico (MySpace) and to the Old Rock City Orchestra (MySpace).

LAZIO

For the next stage of our journey we head south west, to LAZIO and to The Eternal City, the capital of Italy, ROME. This city is renowned for its landmarks as the Colosseum and Vatican City, a true state inside the city. The prog scene of Rome has always been extremely rich. In the seventies Rome gave us, among others, bands such as Il Paese dei Balocchi, Semiramis, Panna Fredda, Quella Vecchia Locanda, L’Uovo di Colombo, Libra, Flea/Flea On The Honey, Etna, Pierrot Lunaire, Albero Motore, Buon Vecchio Charlie, Bauhaus, Officina Meccanica, Laser, Kaleidon, Samadhi, La Seconda Genesi, I Teoremi, Rustichelli & Bordini, Canzoniere del Lazio, Carnascialia, Grosso Autunno, Stradaperta, Ars Nova, Janus, Quel Giorno di Uve Rosse and in more recent times Ezra Winston, Gallant Farm, Divae, Mirage, Venus Tebla, La N.A.V.E. and Montefeltro. Some prog bands and artists that began their career in the seventies are still active and many historic prog bands recently reformed. Metamorfosi (Official Website) reformed in the mid nineties and in 2004 released a good album, Paradiso. At the moment they are working on a new album, Purgatorio. Vocalist Davide “Jimmy” Spitaleri in 2010 started a collaboration with Le Orme while keyboardist Enrico Olivieri also plays with Gli Alunni del Sole, a “romantic pop” band from Naples. Il Rovescio della Medaglia (Official Website) recently have come to life again on the initiative of founder member Enzo Vita and in 2011 they released a new album, Microstorie. Murple (Official Website) reformed in 2007 on the initiative of three original members, Pier Carlo Zanco, Duilio Sorrenti and Mario Garbarino. In 2008 with the help of a young female vocalist, Sabina Gagliardi, and a of new guitarist, Edoardo Massimi, they recorded a brand new album that was released by the independent label Btf, “Quadri di un’esposizione”. It’s a concept album inspired by some works by the Russian painter Victor Alexandrovich Hartmann. Modest Mussorgsky, who was a friend of the painter, composed his piano suite “Pictures at an Exhibition” on the emotional wave that was provoked by these pieces of art. Well, Murple’s album is not a rock interpretation of Mussorgsky’s music (as EL&P’s), but an original work inspired by the same paintings. La Raccomandata con Ricevuta di Ritorno came back to life in 2009 on the initiative of founder member Luciano Regoli with a renewed line-up and under the name La Nuova Raccomandata con Ricevuta di Ritorno (Official Website) they released an excellent album in 2010, Il pittore volante. By the way, during the nineties Luciano Regoli was the singer of a prog metal band still in activity, D.G.M. (Official Website). Another recent comeback is Reale Accademia di Musica (MySpace) although no original member is part of the new project. The new line-up was gathered around Adriano Monteduro who joined the band for their second album in 1974. After a disappointing album in 2008, the new line-up released a better work in 2009, Tempo senza temp”. Rane Concave (MySpace) are another band that was formed in the seventies but never had the chance to record an album. Recently they have reunited too and are working hard to finally release a debut album.

Toto Torquati (Official Website) after the release of two solo “prog” albums in the early seventies, continued his career as a session man, arranger and producer. During the years he collaborated with many Italian pop stars and singer songwriters but he didn’t release any other album until 2009. On April 1, 2009 I was in Rome and I had the chance to attend the showcase where Toto Torquati presented his new work, Vita, Amore e Musica (Life, Love and Music). He was introduced by his old “pupil” Claudio Baglioni, who is now one of best known Italian melodic singer-songwriters, and who sang three of his old hits arranged by Toto Torquati. Then Toto Torquati performed almost all the tracks of the new album with the help of a band of young musicians. Well, Toto Torquati was like a keyboard wizard performing his charms and the show was emotionally intense and full of pathos. I was really impressed by the vitality and the energy he could transmit to the public. The new pieces are almost completely instrumental but on stage a speaker read a short poetical commentary for every track. It took almost twenty years for Toto Torquati to compose, record and refine the tracks on this work, but the result is remarkable. Former member of Pierrot Lunaire, Arturo Stàlteri (MySpace), after the band split up started a solo career and is still active too while drummer Carlo Bordini of Rustichelli & Bordini recently joined forces with Taprobans’ keyboardist Gianluca De Rossi for a new project called De Rossi & Bordini (MySpace).

Rome was also where Perigeo formed. Perigeo, the most famous Italian prog jazz band, recently reunited for some live performances. Another very famous and influential prog band from Rome are Goblin / Cherry Five, two names for the same band! The success of the band is bound to their soundtracks for Dario Argento’s films. Four of the original members reunited in 2005 and recorded a new album under the name Back To The Goblin (Official Website) while founder member, keyboardist and composer Claudio Simonetti started another project called Daemonia (MySpace) performing old Goblin pieces with new arrangements. Another former member of the band, Maurizio Guarini, is now based in Canada where he has formed another project to perform Goblin’s repertoire, Orco Muto (MySpace). Well, in 2010 Claudio Simonetti joined with Massimo Morante and Maurizio Guarini again for a new project under the name New Goblin (Official Website). The new line-up is completed by Bruno Previtali and Titta Tani from Daemonia. Well, the never ending story of Goblin continues...

The most famous prog rock band from Rome is Banco del Mutuo Soccorso (Official Website), who started their career in the seventies and are still active today. To be more exact they come from a small town in the surroundings of Rome, Marino, best known for its “Sagra dell’uva”. Some members of the band as Vittorio Nocenzi, Gianni Nocenzi (MySpace), Francesco Di Giacomo and Rodolfo Maltese (MySpace) have released some interesting solo albums as well. Banco del Mutuo Soccorso members Rodolfo Maltese and Pierluigi Calderoni were also involved in a side project featuring a strong Mediterranean flavour called Indaco. Another Indaco founder member, Mario Pio Mancini, recently reformed this band under the name Nu Indaco (MySpace). The current line-up of Banco del Mutuo Soccorso features on sax Alessandro Papotto who plays also with another prog band, Periferia del Mondo (MySpace). By the way, Marino is also home to a project called Embrione and a very promising band called Senza Nome. Embrione (MySpace) are mainly the brainchild of Emanuele Correani. In 2008 they released a debut album for the independent label Terre Sommerse featuring a good “prog cantautorale”. Senza Nome (MySpace) were formed in 2003 and after an intense live activity featuring a particular theatrical approach, in 2008 they released a very interesting eponymous self-produced debut album. Their main influences are the Italian prog masters of the early seventies that they blend with an original touch and poetical lyrics.

The current Roman prog scene is very rich and features a wide range of bands. Arpia (MySpace) have been active since 1984 although they are not very prolific. In 2009 they released their third album, Racconto d’inverno, conceived as a long acoustic suite. The rhythm section is never invasive, acoustic guitars are omnipresent, there are not spectacular solos but the music perfectly fits the mood of the lyrics and flows away describing in notes what Arpia’s leader Leonardo Bonetti described in words. In fact Racconto d’inverno was released along with a book, a novel by Leonardo Bonetti of the same title, and they’re like two sides of the same coin. Dunwich (MySpace) are another band formed in the eighties. The current line-up was assembled in 2004 on the initiative of keyboardist and composer Claudio Nigris after three albums released in the nineties and a long hiatus. For their last studio album, Heilagmanoth, they were helped by a large number of guest musicians (including a choir and a string quartet) who provided an extremely rich musical texture. The result is a very interesting blend of dark metal, classical music, Celtic and Medieval influences that every now and again might recall Rhapsody (Of Fire). Vu Meters (MySpace) are a kind of super group formed by three experienced musicians who played in other bands such as Ezra Winston and Divae. “Dark City”, their debut album, was released in 2007 and it’s the result of long “jam sessions”. It’s a completely instrumental work where the music flows like magma from volcano slopes, blending delicate beautiful melodies with fiery and raw passages. The mood is dark and disquieting like the art cover painted by drummer Ugo Vantini. Lovers of the Canterbury sound will probably appreciate a band called Grey Lagoon (MySpace). Their influences range from Canterbury to psychedelia and space rock and in 2006 they released a first self produced work, Syncretic. Their last work is an album dedicated to the memory of Hugh Hopper, Valentine Days. It was released in 2010 and features collaborations with Daevid Allen and Niels Van Hoorn. Other bands from Rome that have been active for many years and are really worth listening to are Mad Crayon (MySpace), Greenwall (MySpace), Taproban (MySpace), Doracor (MySpace), the jazz influenced Fonderia (MySpace) and Nosound (MySpace). By the way, Nosound’s guitarist Paolo Vigliarolo before joining the project led by Giancarlo Erra played with a band called Il Bacio di Giuda andit’s a real pity that this experience came to an end. Il Bacio di Giuda’s former vocalist Marco Tesoriero (MySpace) now follows a solo project of music and poetry, anyway, never say never. Recently two other prog bands from the past have reformed, Leviathan (Official Website) and Arcadelt (MySpace).

Well, the current Roman prog scene features also some bands trying to blend music and cinema in their live shows. RanestRane (MySpace) were formed in 1996 with the goal to compose and perform a “rock-opera”. The band chose a famous Werner Herzog film, “Nosferatu The Vampyre”, and commented it with music and original lyrics. They started their live activity in 2000 and conceived their shows as a “cine-concerto”, with the images of Werner Herzog’s film flowing in the background. In 2006 they released their rock opera on a self-produced studio double album and at the moment they are working on a new “cine-concerto” inspired by Stanley Kubrick’s film “Shining”. RanestRane’s multi-instrumentalist and composer Riccardo Romano also started a melodic progressive side project called Maredelnord (MySpace). Another local band performing “cine-concerti” is Memoria (MySpace), that was formed in 1991. In 2004 they tried to comment with notes and words Ridley Scott’s film Blade Runner, from the science fiction novel by Philip K. Dick Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?. Memoria’s bass player Gianfranco Vigneri is also involved in another melodic prog rock project called Colmena (MySpace).

In Rome there are many pubs and venues where you can attend prog rock concerts, but at least two in particular deserve a mention, Stazione Birra and Crossroads. Among the many Roman emerging bands and artist in my opinion worthy of mention are, in no particular order, Ederadirame (MySpace), La Bocca della Verità (MySpace), La Danza dei Fauni (MySpace), Lineateorica (MySpace), Progetto Esperia (MySpace), Il Cavallo di Don Juan (MySpace), Simposio d’Agosto (MySpace), KeyBridge (MySpace), Echoesthree (MySpace), Layra (MySpace), Ampio Spettro (MySpace), No Disc (MySpace), Seventh Will (MySpace), Turbo Elephant Project (MySpace), Master of Ceremony (MySpace), Effetto Catherine (MySpace), Grendel (MySpace), Vendetta di Montezuma (MySpace), Praeludium (My-Space), Fausto Bisantis (MySpace), Nogales (MySpace), Arvalia (MySpace), Apple Device (MySpace), Overfourteen (Official Website) and Alchimia (MySpace). The best known experimental post metal bands from Rome are probably Novembre (MySpace) and Zu (MySpace). By the way, members of Zu are also involved in a completely different project that might be of some interest to prog lovers, the folk oriented Ardecore (Official Website). For post rock lovers there are AIIR (MySpace), Il Silenzio di Ghisa (MySpace) and La Seconda Eclisse (MySpace) while jazz rock lovers might well be interested in Anagramma (MySpace), Circolo Culturale Federico Magnani (MySpace), Garuà (MySpace), Worldream (MySpace), Virtual Dream (MySpace), Quartech (MySpace) and Staralfur (MySpace). On the prog folk side there are the committed folk rocker influenced by prog Enrico Capuano (MySpace), then guitarist and composer Pasqualino Ubaldini (MySpace) and some bands as Ypsos (MySpace), Stilema XXI (MySpace), Sequoia Bisquits (MySpace) and Verbamanent (MySpace). Folk prog lovers will probably also appreciate Giulia Tripoti(MySpace) an interesting and eclectic female singer-songwriter in love with experiments and musical blending. She’s involved as a vocalist and songwriter in many projects such as the progressive-literary Beta Elements (MySpace), the ethno folk Terramaris (MySpace) and the post-rock alternative Blumenberg 67 (MySpace). Last but not least Marco Lo Muscio (Official Website), a classical organist and pianist with a strong passion for prog who re-arranged and interpreted some prog classics for organ and piano solo. He also recorded some albums featuring original tracks that should be of some interest to prog lovers. His last album The Book Of Bilbo And Gandalf features guest stars such as Steve Hackett, John Hackett and Pär Lind.

Anyway Lazio is not only Rome. There are prog bands also in the other towns of the surroundings such as The Balmung (MySpace) from Mentana, La Sfera (MySpace) from Velletri, Falena (MySpace) from Rocca di Papa, Le Maschere Vuote (MySpace) from Cerveteri, VZ69 (MySpace) from Tivoli and Lily Alice (MySpace) from Anzio. North of Rome, in VITERBO, which in the seventies gave us Blocco Mentale, we can now listen to some emerging bands as Il Giardino Onirico (MySpace) and Archaeopteryx (MySpace) and an experimental project called La Guerra delle Formiche (MySpace). South of Rome, in LATINA we can listen to the neo prog Mytho (ReverbNation), then Clan Banlieue (MySpace) and Mururoa (MySpace). East of Latina lies FROSINONE where we can listen to a folk rock project called Musicisti del Basso Lazio (MySpace) that recently released an interesting album called Terra di fuoco. We conclude our visit to Lazio in the province of RIETI, east of Rome. Here we find a band called Novalia (Official Website) that were formed 1985 on the initiative of multi-instrumentalists Raffaello Simeoni and Stefano Saletti. Their music features strong Mediterranean influences and should be of some interest to prog folk lovers. Raffaello Simeoni (MySpace) has also released two solo albums and is involved in some side projects. Stefano Saletti (MySpace) has released some solo works too and he’s also involved in another interesting folk project called Piccola Banda Ikona (MySpace).

Heading south along the coast we reach PESCARA, the birthplace of controversial poet and writer Gabriele d'Annunzio. This city gave us Diapason, Preghiera di Sasso and Akron, a band formed in the nineties that released some albums for Black Widow Records. Today the best known band from this city are Areknamés (MySpace), that gathered in 2001 around composer and keyboardist Michele Epifani. The name of the band comes from the title of a Franco Battiato song on the album “Pollution”, although their main sources of inspiration are not Italian. Their eponymous debut album was released in 2003. With a second excellent album the band went further exploring the possibilities of mixing vintage instruments sounds and love for Seventies prog masters such as Van Der Graaf Generator or Genesis with new ideas and in 2010 they released a new interesting work, In Case Of Loss. Although in their overall sound you can listen to some echoes from the past hanging in the air, Areknamés are not just a clone of someone else playing by rote and trying to stir nostalgic feelings in their listeners, on the contrary, the song-writing of the leader Michele Epifani is absolutely brilliant. Other bands from Pescara are Xenitia (MySpace), Insider (MySpace) and Unimother 27 (MySpace).

Then, still heading south we go to CHIETI, where we can listen to a band called Nuda Veritas (MySpace). Next stop is the nearby town of Ortona, where we can listen to Distillerie di Malto (MySpace). We conclude our visit to Abruzzo and Molise in the province of CAMPOBASSO, home to Ifsounds (Official Website), a band that began life in 1993 under the name of If. Their latest album Apeirophobia was released in 2010 on the independent American label Melodic Revolution Records and is their best so far.

CAMPANIA

And now we head south west, to CAMPANIA and its volcanic capital, NAPLES. The Music of Naples is famous all over the world, especially the Canzone Napoletana that has become a true genre of melodic song in itself. The city gave us prog artists and bands such as Cervello, Città Frontale, Uno, Nova, Fabio Celi e gli Infermieri, Gigi Pascal e la Pop Compagnia Meccanica, Luciano Cilio and Saint Just. Saint Just’s former member Jenny Sorrenti (Official Website) is still active and is trying to revive the band under the name Saint Just Again (MySpace). Other Saint Just former members Tito Rinesi (MySpace) and Toni Verde (MySpace) are active too as solo artists. In particular, Toni Verde is behind a new project that should be of interest to prog lovers, a rock opera called L’arca di giada. The debut show was scheduled in Rome on December 2, 2010. Jenny’s brother Alan Sorrenti (Official Website) is still active too but now he’s far from prog and he’s best known for his works as a pop singer.

The best known historic prog band from Naples are Osanna (Official Website), formed in the early seventies and still active with a renewed line-up led by founder member Lino Vairetti and in perfect shape on stage. In 2009 they released a new album, Prog Family featuring new arrangements of their old pieces with the help of David Jackson from Van Der Graaf Generator who appears as a special guest. Another Osanna former member, bassist Lello Brandi (MySpace) recently released an album featuring some blues oriented new tracks and some old Osanna pieces revisited. Other Neapolitan bands from the seventies still active today are Il Balletto di Bronzo (MySpace), with a new line-up featuring their old keyboardist Gianni Leone, and Napoli Centrale, the band led by saxophonist James Senese (MySpace). By the way, for a short period the line-up of Napoli Centrale featured on bass Pino Daniele who is now one of the most famous Neapolitan artists.

The contemporary scene from Naples also features some very interesting new bands such as I Pennelli di Vermeer (MySpace), a band formed in 2003. All the members of the band were fond of painting, so they decided to call their project “I Pennlli di Vermeer” (that means Vermeer’s Brushes) in honour of the Dutch painter Vermeer (1632-1675). This passion for painting can also be found in their music, a wonderful patchwork of different influences and styles ranging from symphonic rock to ska, tango, baroque and nursery rhymes. La primavera dei sordi (The springtime of the deaf), their first full length album was released in 2008 on the independent label La Canzonetta and the result is excellent: the ten tracks were composed mixing together different colours like in painting, combining shadows and light with sarcasm and irony. The lyrics are full of double meanings and are often sung in a very particular, theatrical way. Other interesting modern bands that deserve mentioning here are the aggressive Gecko’s Tear (MySpace), the Mediterranean flavoured Malaavia (MySpace), the symphonic Grimalkin (MySpace) and the excellent prog folk project of guitarist and composer Riccardo Prencipe called Corde Oblique (MySpace). Naples also gave us a metal influenced band called Presence and their vocalist and solo artist Sophya Baccini (MySpace). In 2009 Sophya Baccini released her first solo album, Aradia, featuring a long suite about the friendship between two women, Aradia and Elide, and its importance for the way of life and full self realisation of the protagonist Aradia. Among the local emerging bands which also deserve a mention are Controtempo (MySpace), Gorgeous (MySpace), Zion (MySpace), the neo-prog VisionAir (MySpace) and the excellent folk jazz Slivovitz (MySpace) who in 2009 released a very good album on the American label MoonJune Records, Hubris. The nearby town of Marigliano is home to the metal influenced Nuova Ipotesi (MySpace), featuring female vocals and a lot of energy.

Heading south along the Tyrrhenian Sea coast we pass through the beautiful Amalfi Coast to reach our next stop, SALERNO, where we can listen to the solo project of Marco Grieco called Macromarco (MySpace) and to some emerging prog bands such as Goyah (MySpace), Camera Chiara (MySpace) and another band called Lothlorien (MySpace) to not be confused with the band of the same name based in the Marche. In the surroundings we also find bands such as Indagini su un Cittadino al di Sopra di Ogni Sospetto (MySpace), from Angri, and Magni Animi Viri (MySpace), from Battipaglia.

Heading north we go now to AVELLINO, in an area called Irpinia. Prog artists and bands such as Notturno Concertante (MySpace), Guernica (MySpace) and Oderigi Lusi (MySpace) come from here. For the next stage of our journey we head north west, to CASERTA, best known for its Royal Palace. Here we can listen to the psychedelic Psychopathic Romantics (MySpace) and to a young prog band called Agasias (MySpace) while the nearby town of Capua is home to another young emerging prog band called Dama del Lago (MySpace) that after a period of hard studio work managed to record an interesting debut album called “Echi d’acqua” (Echoes of water) under Creative Commons licence. Heading east, we conclude our visit to Campania in BENEVENTO where we can listen to prog bands such as Algebra (MySpace), Oniric (MySpace) and Potsdamer Platz (MySpace) and to the Mediterranean prog fusion of guitarist Gio’ Gentile (MySpace). Here there are also based the folk rock oriented Sancto Ianne (MySpace) and Enrico Falbo (MySpace), a multi-instrumentalist who recently released a debut self-produced solo album inspired by “elfish landscapes”, Canti Silvani, that should be of some interest to folk prog lovers. Enrico Falbo is also a member of a post rock band called Il Cielo di Bagdad (MySpace).

PUGLIA

Heading east now, for the next leg we go back to the Adriatic coast, to PUGLIA. We go first to FOGGIA, where we can listen to a young band called Moon Eclipse (MySpace). Then we turn south to BARLETTA, best known for the Disfida di Barletta, a battle between French and Italian Knights that took place on February 13, 1503. It consisted in a mounted tournament and was won by the Italians. Here we can listen to a psychedelic prog band called Orient Express (MySpace). Then we pass through the town of Bisceglie, birthplace of classical guitar virtuoso and composer Mauro Giuliani. Still heading south along the coast we pass through the town of Monopoli where we can listen to two interesting emerging bands, the post rock Corridoio... Con Figure e Luci (MySpace) and La Biblioteca Deserta (MySpace) that after two demos and much trouble (including the loss of all their instruments that were stolen after a concert near Naples in 2009) have finally released a first full length album on the independent label Faro Records, Travelling Without Gravity, featuring ethereal psychedelic sounds and spacey atmospheres.

Still heading south we arrive in BARI, the capital of this region. The best known artist from Bari is probably Domenico Modugno, but in the seventies Bari also gave us some good prog bands such as Festa Mobile and Il Baricentro. The current prog scene of the city is rich in interesting and very promising bands. One of my favourites is Assenzio (MySpace) that were formed in 2004 by five skilled musicians with the aim of blending influences of classic progressive rock bands such as PFM, BMS and Area with more recent sounds. 2005 marked the release of their excellent self-produced debut album, ’Avon, an interesting concept album about the seven capital sins featuring a very good sound quality although it was completely recorded and mixed in the band’s home studio. Well, Assenzio’s guitarist Gigi Lorusso is a teacher of sound recording techniques as well! By the way, Assenzio’s members are also involved in other projects such as the very interesting La Variante Chevac (MySpace) and U’Papun (MySpace). Other interesting local bands are Floating State (MySpace), Le Marionette Ribelli (MySpace), Iniqua (MySpace), Odi et Amo (MySpace), Chiquita Noir (MySpace), Telenauti (MySpace), Noise Overtones Therapy (MySpace) and the Mediterranean ethno-pop project Radiodervish (MySpace). Members of Floating State started also a side project called Folletti di Vetro (MySpace) featuring new arrangements of Fabrizio De Andrè’s songs. Before leaving the province of Bari there’s the time to have a quick look at Gravina in Puglia, a town west of Bari in an area called Murgia. Here we can listen to some emerging prog bands such as La Quinta Essenza (MySpace) and Divinae Laude (MySpace).

Leaving Bari, heading south we first pass through the town of Rutigliano, also known as the “città dell’uva” (the city of grapes) because of its renowned vineyards, where another excellent band, Architrave Indipendente (MySpace), come from. The band was formed in 2004 by musicians in love with analogical sounds. Their self-produced debut album, the excellent Azetium a 8 piste, was released in 2009 only on vinyl! Then we reach Molfetta where we can listen to the psychedelic Obscure Paths (MySpace). Then we pass through the “white town” of Ostuni, where we can listen to Trimaira (MySpace) and to Silent Tears (MySpace). Our next halt is the city of BRINDISI, where we can listen to Aufklarung (MySpace) and to the psychedelic Lenula (MySpace). Then, finally, we arrive in LECCE, the main city of an area called Salento, the south eastern extremity of Italy. This area is best known for a particular dance called pizzica and for an annual music festival dedicated to this dance, La Notte della Taranta. This area is home to prog bands such as Abash (MySpace), Aria Palea (MySpace), Tempu’s (MySpace), Muzak (MySpace), Shedim (MySpace), RetrAvantgarde (MySpace), the hard, dark L’Impero delle Ombre (MySpace) and the metal influenced Historia (MySpace). Some members of RertAvantgarde are also involved in a side project called Melanalogica (MySpace).

For our next stop we head north west along the coast of the Ionian Sea, to the city of TARANTO where we conclude our visit to Puglia. The city is home to some interesting prog bands such as Plurima Mundi (MySpace), Ritratto di un Mattino (MySpace), Sin Terra (MySpace), Exedra (MySpace), Nuclide (MySpace), Le Meccaniche Illusioni (MySpace), Samsara (MySpace) and, in the nearby town of Grottaglie, Vino Zingaro e la Sospensione del Giudizio (MySpace).

BASILICATA and CALABRIA

Now we head north west, to BASILICATA. First we pass through the city of MATERA where we can listen to a Gothic folk band called Lupi Gladius (MySpace) and to the martial folk Hautville (MySpace). Then we reach the capital of the region, POTENZA. Here we can listen to a psychedelic prog project called La Scentifica (MySpace) and to Ethn’n’Roll (MySpace), a young band formed in 2009 that blend Mediterranean influences with committed lyrics and a strange Oriental taste led by ukulele, bass and percussion.

Then we set off again, direction south west, leaving Basilicata for CALABRIA. We pass first through COSENZA, where a prog band called Aedos Cluster Of The Waterfall (MySpace) come from, then we pass through CROTONE, the city of birth of late singer-songwriter Rino Gaetano who in the seventies collaborated with Perigeo and Pierrot Lunaire. Our next leg is CATANZARO where we can listen to the heavy Citriniti (MySpace) and to some emerging bands such as Aridha (MySpace), Le Hibou (MySpace) and Nera Luce (MySpace). Catanzaro is also the birthplace of Enzo Capuano (Official Website) who in the seventies released an interesting prog album, Storia mai scritta, and is now a well known opera singer.

Still heading west we finally reach REGGIO CALABRIA, the largest city in the region, where we conclude our short visit to Basilicata and Calabria. The city is home to prog bands such as Jet Leg (Facebook), XII Icona (MySpace) and the metal influenced Akhenhaton (MySpace) while in the seventies the nearby town of Palmi gave us an excellent prog band called Apoteosi.

SICILIA

It’s time now to challenge Scylla and Charybdis crossing the Strait of Messina. We begin in this way our visit to SICILIA, an island and an autonomous region of Italy. First we visit the city of MESSINA, where William Shakespeare’s comedy Much Ado About Nothing is set. Here we can listen to Addamanera (MySpace), a band that blends folk and psychedelia in an original way, then to the young Moon Fire (MySpace) and to some post rock bands such as Denied Light (MySpace) and The Morning Light (MySpace). Not far from Messina lies the town of Milazzo home to Taberna Mylaensis (MySpace), a band that should be of interest to folk prog lovers and active since 1975. Then we head south along the coast until we arrive at the small town of Santa Teresa di Riva, near the beautiful ancient town of Taormina, where we can listen to Conqueror (MySpace), an excellent contemporary prog band that in 2010 released a beautiful concept album, Madame Zelle, inspired by the adventurous life of a woman called Margaretha Geertruida Zelle, also known as Mata Hari.

Still heading south, we pass through the town of Acireale, almost at the foot of Mount Etna, where an interesting emerging band called Mechanical Butterfly (MySpace) come from. In another town near the volcano, Belpasso, we can listen to an excellent band called Malibran (MySpace). Malibran began life in 1987 and in 2010 they released a very good new album entitled Trasparenze. Next stop is CATANIA, the birthplace of opera composer Vincenzo Bellini. This is where prog artists and bands as Franco Battiato (Official Website) and the neo prog Edith (MySpace) come from.

Still heading south we pass through SIRACUSA, a city founded by the ancient Greeks and rich in history. Its most famous character is the inventor Archimedes. Here we can listen to a particular, theatrical “folk metal” band called Fiaba (MySpace). Then, heading south west we reach RAGUSA, the ancient Hybla Heraea, where we can listen to Randone (MySpace), an excellent band that in 2006 released an amazing concept album inspired by the history of this city, Hybla Act I. Our next halt is in the nearby town of Modica, in the Hyblaean Mountains, where we find an interesting folk prog band formed in 1994, Mas-Nada (MySpace).

We head north west now directed to the heart of Sicily, to CALTANISSETTA, where we find an emerging prog band called Neamatis (MySpace) while in the nearby small town of Mazzarino we can listen to Viola Drunken (MySpace), a band that blends hard rock and psychedelia with Italian “canzone d’autore” and touches of seventies prog. Their second album was released in 2009 and it’s a conceptual one, Di fate e streghe (Of Fairies and Witches).

Then we set our course south west, to AGRIGENTO, best known for an archaeological site, the Valle dei Templi, which inspired an album by prog jazz band Perigeo, La Valle dei Templi, featuring a beautiful art cover. This area, in the imaginary city of Vigata, is the setting for the crime stories of Commissario Montalbano, a character created by the famous Italian writer Andrea Camilleri. This is where a dark and “catacombal” prog project called Ultima Missa (MySpace) come from.

We head north west now, to the seaport town of Marsala, a place usually associated with Giuseppe Garibaldi and his Expedition of the Thousand and best known for its Marsala wine. The town is home to two prog bands, Braindead and Il Castello delle Uova (MySpace), while in the nearby city of TRAPANI we find a prog project called TP Overdrive (MySpace). Then we head east and conclude our visit to Sicily in its capital, PALERMO. In the seventies the city gave us Era di Acquario while today here we can listen to two very interesting contemporary prog bands, Bright Horizon (Facebook) and Coral Caves(MySpace). Worthy of mention are also the young Indicative (MySpace).

SARDEGNA

It’s time now to set off and sail across the sea heading north west, to another Italian island and autonomous region, SARDEGNA, and its capital CAGLIARI. The city gave us in the past prog artists and bands such as Pierpaolo Bibbò (Official Website) and Gruppo 2001. Gruppo 2001’s keyboardist and singer Piero Marras (MySpace) is still active and is now one of the most appreciated singer-songwriters from Sardinia. The current prog scene from Cagliari features an interesting band, The Yleclipse (MySpace), who in 2008 released a concept album, Trails Of Ambergris, about the history of the island, freely inspired by the events of 1792-1793, when the French army tried to occupy Sardinia. Other prog bands from this city are Akroasis (Facebook), I Collegium (MySpace) and the emerging Entity (MySpace) and Sistema (MySpace).

The other cities of the island have also their prog bands. ORISTANO in the seventies gave us Salis while today it’s the time of a folk rock band called Nur (MySpace). SASSARI, in the north west part of the region, is home to White Sunset (MySpace) and Capside (MySpace) while the province of NUORO has an emerging band called Getsemani (MySpace).

Our prog tour of Italy is coming to an end now. Almost every day new bands are formed or bands split up and you can be sure that every Italian prog tour will be different from the previous one. So, after a break in the beautiful Costa Smeralda, you can always take a ferry-boat from the seaport town of Olbia, cross the sea, land back on the Italian Peninsula and have another spin!

Fascinating reading Andrea, the RPI genre is a bottomless pit of bands waiting to be discovered. Until a few years ago I knew little of it besides PFM and still feel like I'm only scratching the surface but have made some excellent discoveries, my latest favourite being Biglietto Per L'inferno, awesome stuff!

wow! great work! complimenti! I take this chance to suggest a particular band to everybody...it's called "Emily's Mystic Game" (http://www.myspace.com/mysticgame), they are from Milano and they are really young! I'm not sure but I think they're all under 20 years old...I've seen them playing live the day before yesterday and I was extremely impressed...check it out!

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